20220710 Chennai: Illegal waste dump yard along Cooum catches fire
India Jul 10 2022 “Other”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Chennai: Illegal waste dump yard along Cooum catches fire
Updated: 2022-07-10
CHENNAI: An illegal dump yard along the Cooum River beneath the Maduravoyal flyover caught fire on Saturday, causing severe pollution in surrounding areas localities such as Mogappair West.
The fire raged till evening and subsided after a spell of rain. The toxic fumes were also damaging overhead electric lines, said residents, adding that the mounds of waste along the river bunds is regularly dumped by encroachers nearby as well as by staff of panchayats from nearby villages..
The part of the river, although very close to Greater Chennai Corporation limits, comes under the Adayalampattu panchayat, said officials. S Swaminathan, secretary of JAMBA, a federation of five resident welfare associations in Mogappair, an area just roads away from the spot, said the ‘dump yard’ caught fire regularly.
“The issue is that the whole area of this dump yard and the surrounding locality is a grey area. Some interior parts come under the Ambattur zone, some go under the Valsaravakkam zone and some go under Adayalampattu panchayat. There seems to be unregulated garbage dumping happening illegally here and it also affects the overhead electric cables,” he said.
Swaminathan said the pollution caused by such illegal dumping is causing severe health issues to residents and it requires the attention of officials at the highest level. “The persons responsible for dumping waste here must be dealt with severely,” he said.
Lazar of the Aishwarya Nagar Residents Welfare Association, in Maduravoyal, said he has been fighting against illegal dumping of waste and letting out sewage for years but in vain. “It is happening with the knowledge of the officials concerned. Staff of all the nearby panchayats and those away too are coming here to dump the waste. Now, private hospitals and medical colleges nearby too are dumping the medical waste on this stretch,” he said.
Some residents felt that the excess dumping of waste was an attempt to encroach upon the Cooum River too and requested the PWD to remove the waste and reclaim the lake. When contacted, officials of the local body concerned said they would remove the waste and clear the ‘dump yard’ by Sunday.
Web Source: The Times of India